I am an architectural designer by profession. At this point I have been designing and learning about architecture for over 13 years. 3D printing was something that I have been using in school and in the office for projects on occasions. i think it’s cool, I believe in it as THE way models will be made in the near future. That near future is NOW!
I purchased a 3D printer a about half a year ago, when I found out that this technology had silently become so available and economical.
I believed that with some of my architectural design backgrounds, I would be able to get a handle of it quite easily. I asked around, read many many articles about home 3D printing, and watched a few....a lot of YouTube videos on 3D printers and decided that the Creality Ender 5 Pro would fit my purpose and knowledge.
*always RESEARCH before getting into a new tech*
The questions that helped me identify which printer to get:
1. How much time and energy am I willing to put into this machine? What will I be using it for?
Print bed size - this is the limit to what can be printed in one print session.
Brand - this is my 1st 3D printer, I wanted to make sure I get something that has a larger online community for supports when I run into problems.
Price range - what is the budget? it is not necessary that the more expensive printers will provide the better quality and results.
Customizations and upgrades. Many printers are upgradable, at a slightly lower initial cost I could test out how much effort I want to put in for better quality in the future.
2. Do I have a space for it at home that could be ventilated and secured if needed?
Ventilation - although the most common printing material for an FDM printer, PLA, is a pretty sustainable product - it is biodegradable and low VOC. It still produces some nano-practicales. It helps if I could ventilate the air in the space I plan to locate the printer.
3. Do I have a way to supervise this printer or my children when the machine is on?
Safety - I have little children at home, how can I keep them from hurting themselves or vice versa....yes they can ruin prints, I think the reasons are pretty obvious. Also, the printer‘s hot end gets to over 200°C in order to melt the filaments. This is hot enough to catch on a fire or burn your skin. I will need to put it inside a room or in a cabinet that can be locked.
4. What is my skill level and will I continue to have interests and use for it in the long term?
Sustainability - I made sure I had enough support from family so that they won't be annoyed by me constantly printing things they don't think will be useful or fun. I researched on the types of skill required to maintain the machine and what kinds of softwares do makers use for designing and printing. I knew I wouldn't be happy to just download other designs from Thingiverse, Cults3D or My Minifactory without the ability to create my own designs. So knowing what softwares are compatible with 3D printing models were critical for me. I was pretty confident that this hobby would last a while...
Comments